AustLit

Zedekiah Twopenny seeks refuge up a tree to avoid an uncomfortable encounter with two widows, Mrs Davids and Mrs Simmons. The two join in expounding, first the grievances of each other's deceased husbands, and then their newfound hopes of remarriage to attentive widowers in canary waistcoats. Twopenny listens on in amusement. It soon becomes apparent that the attentive widower is, in both cases, none other than Twopenny himself. The exchange between the widows grows tense, until Twopenny falls out of the tree and into Mrs Davids's basket. Convincing them he was asleep the whole time, he dispels their wrath by bestowing equal affection upon them both. The farce is concluded by the appearance of Twopenny's new wife, who accuses Mrs Davids and Mrs Simmons of chasing after her husband, and then summons him away. Mrs Davids and Mrs Simmons return home for tea together, newly bonded over their shared disappointment.

Characters

MRS DAVIDS – A widow

MRS SIMMONS – A widow who takes in lodgers

ZEDEKIAH TWOPENNY – A village dry-goods shopkeeper

SELINA – A fluffy young lady of 25